Chocolate Biscottis with Almonds and Cherries

10. April, 2009

These are little slices of heaven. The almonds provide mono-unsaturated fats which are important for a healthy heart and almonds are also rich in calcium so if you are lactose intolerant, you are in luck. I quite like these little treats dipped in espresso (although I don't drink espresso I like the taste of it). It' just something about combining almonds, cherries, cocoa and coffee that make me smile. My husband smiles less because he doesn't like crumbs in his espresso!

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Chocolate, almonds and cherries..very festive and delicious!

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This recipe is:

Lactose (dairy) free

Chocolate Biscottis with Almonds and Cherries

Makes 15 biscottis

Ingredients

140 grams (5 oz) almonds, chopped coarsely
90 grams (3 oz) dried cherries (from a health food store), chopped coarsely
280 grams (10 oz) spelt flour
2 teaspoons aluminium free and gluten free baking powder
45 grams (1¾ oz) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon almond extract (from a health food store)
160 grams (5½ oz) raw cane sugar
2 eggs (please use free range eggs)
2 egg whites (please use free range eggs)
A couple of tablespoons cold water

Preparation

Chop the 140 grams almonds and 90 grams dried cherries coarsely.
In a medium bowl, sift together the 280 grams spelt flour the 40 grams cocoa powder and 2 teaspoons baking powder.
In a small bowl, mix together the 2 eggs and 2 egg whites, 160 grams raw cane sugar and1 teaspoon almond extract.
Add a couple of tablespoons water to dissolve the sugar.
With a large wooden spoon, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Add as much water as needed to be able to kneed the dough without it sticking to a floured and clean surface. The dough should resemble Play Doh in texture.
Add the almonds and cherries and kneed them into the dough. Make sure the loaf is smooth, without any cracks.
Place baking parchment on a baking tray. With your hands, mould a 12 centimetres (4.7 inches) x 22 centimetres (8.6 inches) loaf approximately 1.5 centimetres (0.6 inches) in height.
Bake at 150 degrees Celsius/300 Fahrenheit/Gas Mark 2, for 30-35 minutes.
Place the loaf on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes (leave the oven on).
With a serrated knife, carefully slice the loaf on the diagonal in 1 centimetre (0.4 inch) thick slices.
Place the slices on the baking parchment and bake further for 15 minutes.
Turn the slices over and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the slices to cool completely inside the oven. You might have to remove the smaller slices so that they will not burn. If the biscottis are sufficiently baked at this point (crisp and perhaps a little dark), remove them from the oven. If they are a little soft to the touch, allow them to sit in the oven whilst it cools down.

Tips

Add a handful of chopped, dark chocolate for an extra special treat.
Keep in an air tight container.
You can use whole wheat flour instead of the spelt flour.
You can use regular baking powder instead of the aluminium and gluten free one.
You can use carob powder instead of cocoa powder if you prefer.
The easiest method for dividing eggs into egg yolks and whites is to crack the egg so that the yolk sits in one side of the shell. Then pour the yolk into your other hand, cradling the yolk in your fingers. The white should run safely away from the yolk. This might require some practise. It usually takes around 4-5 seconds for the whites to fully drip into the bowl. You can freeze the yolks for later use.